Quiet Protest
by SiriusMarauderFan
Summary: She cared for him without thanks, and now it's his turn. one shot.


**Author's Note:** Thanks to Liza for betaing. :)

Written for…

Hogwarts Assignment #9. _Lesson:_ Mythology, task 8. _Task:_ Write about someone who can't talk.

(Writing Club) Book Club. _Prompts:_ hot chocolate, kind, searching for someone

(Writing Club) Lyric Alley. _Prompt:_ Voice sounds strange, but I soon forget

(Writing Club) Sophie's Shelf. _Prompt:_ Write about a cross-gen affair.

(Writing Club) Showtime. _Prompt:_ Write a fic set on the weekend.

(Writing Club) Disney Challenge. _Prompt:_ Write a hurt/comfort fic.

Insane Challenge. _Prompt:_ "When's the last time you saw her?"

(Writing Club) Days of the Month. _Prompt:_ Severus Snape

Film Festival. _Prompts:_ (setting) school, Saturday

365 Prompt Challenge. _Prompt:_ Thirsty

* * *

 **Quiet Protest**

 _905 words_

* * *

Severus knew something was wrong the moment he woke up. He laid in bed for a few moments, blinking up at the dark ceiling and wondering what was different. The silence stretched on, but that was the problem, he realized.

Locating his wand on the nightstand, he cast _tempus_ and cursed as the glowing numbers revealed he'd slept past ten in the morning. Hermione had been his reliable wake up call for six months, showing up at his door at seven-thirty each day with a tray of breakfast. Or, once he had recovered enough from the venom that the healers deemed him fit to move around a bit more, she would show up even earlier to drag him to the Great Hall.

The fact that she had missed a day worried him more than he was willing to admit.

:-:

Before the war, it wouldn't have taken Severus more than ten minutes to travel from his quarters to the head teacher's office. After the venom and extended bedrest took his strength, it was twice that.

In his panic, he found himself standing before the headmistress in a record-breaking seven minutes.

"Severus. I'm pleased to see you're emerging for more than meals now. Is there something you need?" Minerva greeted warmly.

"I haven't seen Miss Granger this morning. I wondered if you might know where she is."

The older woman quirked an eyebrow. "I've no idea. It's Saturday. Perhaps she's spending the day with friends, or in the library."

Severus resisted the urge to scoff at the absurd idea. In all the months Hermione had been his companion - his carer, really - she had never gone anywhere without checking on him first and making sure he would be alright without her. While it had been annoying in the beginning, he had grown used to her pestering.

"When's the last time you saw her?"

"Dinner last night. I recall she was sitting with Miss Weasley."

"She wasn't at breakfast this morning?"

"No. But then neither were you. I don't think there's anything to get worked up about, Severus."

"Something is wrong," he insisted. "It's not like her to miss meals. Please. I need to know she's safe."

"If it will put your mind at ease, I suppose you could check her private quarters." At Severus' look of confusion, she elaborated. "Miss Granger requested quarters closer to your own when you were released from the infirmary. She's in Professor Kettleburn's old rooms, passed the kitchens."

:-:

Severus hurried to the portrait of a young couple having a picnic.

"Is she in there?" he demanded of them.

The man ignored him, more interested in the glass of wine in his hand, but the woman turned to him with a relieved smile.

"Yes, she's quite ill, it seems. I've been telling her to go to the infirmary all morning."

Severus allowed himself a moment to breathe, thankful that there hadn't been some great accident or catastrophe. He could handle a sickness.

"If you let me in, I can help her."

"Of course, Professor," the woman agreed.

The portrait swung open and Severus entered cautiously, uncomfortably aware that he was there without Hermione's permission.

He let his dark eyes scan over the sitting room, looking for her mane of bushy hair.

"Hermione?" he called, making his way towards the closed doors on the other side of the room. "It's Severus. I've come to make sure you're alright."

He waited by the doors, hesitant to go any further without permission.

After a minute, the left door clicked open and he slipped inside.

Hermione was lying in the bed, her hair spread out over the pillows and the royal purple duvet pulled up to her chin. Her hand sat atop the covers with her wand held in limp fingers.

He crept closer to the bed. "Are you alright?"

Her hand went to her throat and when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Severus placed a hand on her forehead, finding it unnaturally warm.

"You need medicine," he murmured. Summoning parchment and a quill, he placed them on the covers, helping Hermione to grasp the quill. "Do you need anything."

Her fingers barely moved as the quill scratched at the parchment. Her big eyes looked up at him pleadingly when she'd finished. He glanced at the parchment.

 _Thirsty._

With another flick of his wand, a glass of water flew into his waiting hand. He helped Hermione to sit up just long enough to take a few sips before tucking her back under the covers.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to find something to help your throat."

He returned several minutes later with a potions vial and a house-elf trailing behind him, carrying a tray of soup and hot chocolate.

"I thought something hot might help."

She graced him with a weak smile and scribbled _thank you_ on the parchment. He returned the smile, pleased to have helped her even a little.

He helped her to take the healing potion and, despite her quiet protests, calmly sat at her bedside all day and read to her from a Muggle novel from her shelf.

Her smile made everything worth it. It was the first thing he remembered seeing when he woke up in the infirmary six months before, and through all the confusion and bickering since, it was the only thing that brightened his day without fail. He only hoped he would be able to repay the favor.


End file.
